When replacing one on-screen image with another in a gaming machine; the options available to perform this action in an interesting or aesthetically pleasing manner are limited. In fact, other than an instantaneous change, the only way is to use some form of pre-generated animation. This method, apart from consuming a large amount of EPROM space, is unwieldy and cumbersome given that the starting and end images must be known before run-time.
In filmmaking, when going from one scene to another, filmmakers have used a number of techniques. Theses techniques range from fading from a scene to black, and then fading from black into the next scene. Other options are fading directly from one scene to another, shrinking a scene to reveal another “behind it”, or sliding one scene off the screen to the left whilst simultaneously sliding another onto the screen from the right. All these techniques are generated post-filming and are fixed.